Gear Review: Arc'teryx Konseal Hoody

It's been a fairly settled few months in the gear cupboards at All the Gear HQ. There have been a few new additions to complement the existing collection and a few changes in colour here and there but everything I've mentioned in previous posts is still well in service. The main new addition, to which I have grown quite attached, is the excellent Arc'teryx Konseal Hoody, shown below.

The Arc'teryx Konseal Hoody

I'm a big fan of mid-layers and fleeces. Most are used largely for more day-to-day use as I find teaming a fleece with an outer too warm in most cases. That's why I like the Konseal so much and it's reserved solely for hiking; here's why.

The Konseal Hoody is a fairly minimal mid-layer or even a very heavyweight baselayer. It's made from the excellent Polartec Power Dry fabric which uses two different weaves to promote quicker wicking. In addition, the inner face has a voided fleece, much like the Rab Baseline which traps air in small channels that run throughout the top. What you get is a noticeably warm top with less bulk. In addition to this, it has a neat trick up its sleeve (or down its neck to be more precise). PowerDry is also chemically odour-resistant and contains 50% recycled material - nice.

A detailed photo of voided fleece inside the Konseal

The fit is close, as a base or mid-layer should be, allowing the fabric to work as intended, both wicking moisture and trapping the necessary air to create warmth. I had found a previous incarnation of the Konseal too small in this respect but the current model is almost perfect. I've either become smaller (unlikely) or it has been cut larger (likely).

Features
Here is a rundown of the main features of the Konseal Hoody:

• Polartec Power Dry with moisture-resistant outer face fabric
• ScubaHood
• Integrated neck gaiter 
• Thumb loops
• Laminated chest pocket

Details 
Being a base layer / mid-layer there are not a huge number of details to mention though Arcteryx's quality is evident. The chest pocket is typically Arcteryx, laminated to the top rather than sewn, creating a seamless bond that is stronger than a traditional seam. That said, I rarely use chest pockets so this isn't big deal.

Chest pocket

Hood
The hood (Arcteryx's ScubaHood) fits close to the head like many mid-layers on the market, designed to be worn beneath a helmet but does stretch comfortably over a woolly hat.

Within the hood is hidden the excellent neck gaiter, made from Arcteryx's own Phasic fabric (this is the same fabric they use in their synthetic base layers). When not in use, the gaiter simply sits unnoticed around the back of the neck. Bring it into play (by pushing your head through it) and it acts almost like a buff and can be pulled right up over your nose.

The hidden neck gaiter

Sleeves
The sleeves are a nice length and have thumb loops that allow the sleeve to cover much of your hand though I've found they can be a little uncomfortable at times. Layered the sleeves over a thin pair of gloves creates a seamless barrier over which larger, more weather-resistant gloves can be worn. I like this approach and use it a lot.

Thumb loops if that's your thing

And that's your lot.

In Action
The Arc’teryx Konseal hoody is a great addition to a crowded market of fleeces and mid-layers. I think the concealed gaiter is perhaps its biggest selling point, and it really is a nice thing to be able to pop on. All of the features are well thought out and function perfectly, so it’s really up to the user to decide how much money to spend, how warm a fleece is needed and exactly what features will be most useful. But, as it stands, the Konseal has many charms and virtually no flaws.

Gear Review: Rab Baseline Jacket

The Rab Baseline jacket (as well as the pull-on variety) is part of a raft of new, lightweight gridded fleeces that have flooded the market in recent years. Mountain Equipment have the excellent Eclipse series and Patagonia have the legendary R1 Hoody - all of which use the same concept. I've owned the pull-on version of the Rab Baseline for a few years and the jacket was a welcome addition to the All The Gear arsenal.

The Rab Baseline Jacket

So, what's thinking behind a gridded fleece? First, let's look at the fabric

The Baseline Jacket uses fabric designed by the wizards at Polartec, this one in particular being Polartec Power Dry HE (or High Efficiency). The Power Dry fabric is constructed using two different types of yarn; one next to the skin that promotes the uptake of moisture and one on the outer face that spreads the moisture over a wider area, increasing its potential for evaporation. What this creates is a mechanical means of wicking that does not fade after prolonged use (as a chemical application might) and a garment that dries quicker and subsequently keeps you warmer.

The inner face of the Baseline jacket consists of the HE aspect of the Power Dry fabric or, in other words, the gridded fleece. Where a regular fleece is comprised of a continual layer of fibres, the fibres on the gridded fleece and bundled into little squares with channels running between them to form the grid. While the fleece does what fleece does best, the channels trap more air and subsequently keep you warmer. Remember however, this is all relative to weight. A thicker, heavier fleece will undoubtedly be warmer but much bulkier.

A close up of the grid

Let's look at the actual jacket in more detail:

• Fabric: Polartec Power Dry Hi-efficiency
• Polygiene STAY FRESH odour control treatment
• Under helmet hood
• YKK Vislon front zip, internal zip flat and chin guard
• YKK zipped chest pocket
• Thumb loops
• Flatlock low bulk seams

The Rab Baseline Jacket

Fit
This is a close-fitting piece but I don't think it's unflattering - you could almost get away with wearing it on a more day to day basis. The close fit enhances the efficiency of the gridded fleece, allowing the warm air to circulate within the jacket, close to the body and prevents it from escaping through gaps.

The Details
As you may expect from a base / mid-layer there aren't that many features to discuss. The Baseline Jacket has a chest pocket for odds and ends and a full-length zip. I tend not to use chest pockets much, especially on a mid-layer as they are generally buried beneath some form of jacket.

A grown on hood fits over the head like a wet suit hood (it's designed to fit underneath a helmet) and while it provides some extra warmth, it looks ridiculous on its own. I find, if wearing the hood for a long period, it starts to feel a bit restrictive, especially across the forehead.

The hood on the Baseline Jacket

The arms are long which is a fairly typical Rab trait though the addition of thumb loops can prevent the sleeves from rolling up. I like thumb loops on tops as you can pull them over a pair of liner gloves and create a seamless link between arms and hands, eliminating any exposed skin at the wrists.

The long sleeves and thumb loops

Conclusion
I really like this jacket (and the pull-on version) because I tend to be a warm person anyway so being able to provide the right level of warmth beneath a shell (without getting too warm) has always been a bit of a challenge. This does hit the spot in terms of warmth and breathability and I've found this works best as a mid-layer over a long-sleeve base-layer - that combination in itself can be warm enough on a winter day with little or no wind. Add a waterproof or softshell over the top and that temperature can be extended well below 0°C, as recently tested out in the Lake District.